Page 8 - The Persian Gulf Historical Summaries (1907-1953) Vol IV_Neat

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Bahrein. Before the advent of the Belgian
Customs officials at the formor ports, and to this
day at Bahrein, they have farmed the Customs.
Foreign imports and exports for the most part
arc conveyed to and from the Gulf in British
ships, mow than one Anglo-Indian Company
(the “ British India," the “ Bombay and Persia,"
and the “ Anglo-Arabian and Persian Gulf")
having maintained for years a merchant-steamer
service between Karachi and Bussorah, touching
at the Gulf ports on the way, whilst the rival
ventures that have occasionally been attempted
by foreign nations hnvo uniformly failed aud
been withdrawn, with the recent exceptions ot
the heavily-subsidized vessels of the Hamburg-
American line, and of tho Russian Steam-ship
Company, which maintains quarterly sailings
from Odessa. Before tho institution of the Annual Serins,
German service the statistics show that 93 per
cent, of the numbers and tonnage of the
steamers engaged was under the British flag.
The protection of the pearl fisheries, which
arc carried on by tho Arab tribes under the
time-honoured conditions, is au important feature
of British policy. This subject is referred to in
a subsequent portion of this Memorandum, deal-
ing with matters of commerce.
During the last forty years tho maintenance of Government of
the submarine cables of the Indo-European Tele- '
graph Company from Fao to Jask, and of the
land lines from that place to Karachi, has also
devolved upon the Indian Government, and has
tended to increase an already preponderant in­
fluence over both the waters and the shores of
the Gulf.
Latterly thcro has been a deliberate hut neces­
sary consolidation of our influence in certain
quarters whero trouble threatened or where
rivalry was feared. At the north-west extremity
of the Gulf the Government of India, uuder
instructions from His Majesty’s Government,
have entered into engagements, dated 1899
and 1907, with the Sheikh of Kowcit, by
which he has bound himself and his successors
not to receive the Representative of any
other Power and not to alienate any portion
of his territory to the Government or subjects
of any other Power, while, on tho other hund,
he has granted to Ilis Majesty’s Government
certain prior rights in regard to the leasing
of any portion of the foreshore of his territory.
The first of these Agreements was dictated by

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